


Trying Not to Fall

by mizufallsfromkumo



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Alcohol, Alternate Universe - Modern Setting, Family, Grief/Mourning, Implied/Referenced Character Death, Implied/Referenced Drug Use, Lance (Voltron) is Bad at Feelings, Lance (Voltron) is a Mess, Lance is a Good Parent, M/M, Past Character Death, Shiro (Voltron) is a Good Friend, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-12-06
Updated: 2018-12-06
Packaged: 2019-09-12 12:22:48
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,515
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/16872828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mizufallsfromkumo/pseuds/mizufallsfromkumo
Summary: “I’m Shiro, by the way.” Shiro introduced himself.“Lance,”  The guy returned after a swig of beer.  “I’m new to the building…wellsort of.”Shiro raised in eyebrow at the words.“My brother and his wife died,” Lance stated like it was an answer to an unsaid question.  And Shiro went stiff.  “I got their place…and their kids.”





	Trying Not to Fall

**Author's Note:**

> This was an angst idea I had for Lance. Mostly in terms of a Shance meeting, cause reasons. But I am like also totally here for like "Single Parent"!Lance who is just a mess and bad at feeling.

“Do you usually see  _anything_  out here with that thing?”  A voice asked roughly behind Shiro.

It caused Shiro to pull away with from the scope of his telescope and turn.  

Finding a man standing a small distance away from him.  Shiro can just make out a curious expression on his face in the dull lights of the night in the city around them.  Along with the slight mess of his hair and worn old jacket and jeans.  They don’t make him look like anyone usually in the building, but he’s put together enough to pass.  Shiro also notices the bottle in his hand, easily identified as a beer bottle, and he didn’t seem overly drunk.  

There is a slight smell of weed too, it reminded Shiro of college, and the terrible inconsiderate roommate he had freshman year.  But it’s not terrible by any means.  Meaning the guy  _smoked_ , but he wasn’t currently  _smoking_.  

“The Moon.” Shiro answered simply

And it was true.  

With the level of light pollution in the city, especially where Shiro lived, well he was lucky if he saw a star. He always knew that coming up to the roof with his telescope.  However he wasn’t  going up there to see anything.  If he wanted to  _see something_ he always left the city and drove to the camp grounds a good two hours away.

But the process of setting everything up calmed him.

_Just_  staring up at the night sky helped relax him.

“Maybe a passing plane or helicopter.” Shiro continued with a shrug.  “But not much else.”

The guy hummed and nodded as he turned to look up at the sky.

“If I want to see anything, I drive two hours south.” Shiro explained, like he had feeling the guy was going to say something.  The guy looked back at him lazily. “But this helps me de-stress.”

“No, that’s cool.”  The guy said with a wave of his hand before he sighed.  _Heavily._  “I just wondered if it was some amazingly advanced telescope or something.  I could use a distraction from life for a moment.  None of the usual tricks are working.”  He stated as he ran a hand through his hair.

Shiro just nodded weakly as he looked over the guy.  

Nothing about him seemed dangerous.  In fact he seemed extremely docile, but that might have been the weed in his system. But his body language also looked worn and tired too.

“Any way, go back to look at nothing.  Sorry for bothering you.”  The guy said with mock salute as he turned on his heel to leave.

“You’re more than welcome to look at nothing with me.” Shiro offered lightly.

He really would prefer to have some peaceful time to himself.  Just him, his telescope, and the night sky.  And just unwind for a second before going back to grade papers or try to possibly sleep.  

But the guy seemed like he could use some company.  As he seemed to actively be seeking  _something_  out.  And the teacher and mentor in Shiro was clawing to give him  _something_  back.

Not to mention Keith plays a similar game of ‘I need to talk’ disguised as ‘Let’s do a thing and not talk’.

“Really?”

“Yeah, I don’t mind.”

The guy paused for a moment as he looked at Shiro.  Like he was trying to judge of Shiro really _wanted_  him, or if it was an empty offer to seem nice and courteous.  Or as if he was debating taking up the offer or just going home and forgetting the whole encounter. He shifted his weight on his feet some as he looked at Shiro.   Before he decided to take Shiro up on his offer with puff of ‘fuck it’ and turned.

He plopped down on the ground next Shiro’s telescope somewhat clumsy.  Clearly the beer bottle in his hand was not the first.  But her mindfully doesn’t bump anything of Shiro’s as he does so.

“I’m Shiro, by the way.” Shiro introduced himself.

“Lance,”  The guy returned after a swig of beer.  “I’m new to the building…well  _sort of._ ”

Shiro raised in eyebrow at the words.

Mostly because they just sound weird.  But he figured maybe the guy, Lance, use to live here or something.  Or he knew someone who lived there before moving in.  So he didn’t say anything as he turned to peer up at the sky.

“My brother and his wife died,” Lance stated like it was an answer to an unsaid question.  And Shiro went stiff.  “I got their place…and their kids.”  Lance took another drink from his beer bottle.  Halfway through it he suddenly realized what he had just done.  “ _Shit!_  That’s heavy.  I didn’t mean to–I wasn’t trying–I just–” Lance fumbled hurriedly as he put down his drink.  Scrambling slightly as he moved to get his feet underneath him.  “Sorry, I really wasn’t looking for someone to just dump that on… _I swear._..it just came out.”

“No, it’s fine.”  Shiro cut in hurriedly, reaching for Lance.

The other had started to get up.  Probably to run away and hide as quickly as he can.  Just get away from his blurt out as possible and ignore it.  

And part of Shiro screams not to let him go.

If the guy is just blurting things out…clearly his not  _feeling_  them as he should.

“No it’s not!” Lance objected sharply.  “I should go.  Because with my current luck Social Services will pop by for a surprise assessment…and they’ll have a drug test, cause that lady  _hates_ me…and crap, I’m not gonna pass it.”  Lance slapped his hand over his mouth.  “ _Quazinack!_  I really should go.”

“Hey, hey, I’m serious, it’s fine.” Shiro stated as he grabbed Lance’s wrist to stop him.  

Because the guy sounds like he might just be a ticking time bomb.  And well it sounds like the kids had lost enough.  Even if Shiro is probably wildly under qualified to do something like he was.. _.someone_  needed too.

Lance stopped at looked at Shiro’s hold on him.  More out of surprise Shiro is actually grabbing him to stop him, then to throw a punch at Shiro.  His weirdly captivated by the hold.

“Really, I…get it, it’s okay.” Shiro started softly.  “It sounds like you got a lot on your plate.”

“Understatement of the  _century._ ” Lance huffed.  But then he looked at the ground and didn’t say anything.

“And I’m sorry about your brother and his wife.” Shiro said softly.

“Everybody is,” Lance grumbled out weakly in irritation.  

Which Shiro gets, he understands what it’s like to hate those words.  To know what little meaning a help they supply in mourning.  Cause sorry barely fixes anything.

Lance sighed, but he looked up at Shiro.  “But…um…thanks.”  Lance said genuinely.  “You probably didn’t know my brother, or his family, and you sure as hell  _don’t_  know me…but…”

Suddenly Lance surged forward.  Wrapping his arms around Shiro torso, and face planting into Shiro’s shoulder.  The contact surprised Shiro, causing his to stiffen at the action, as his mind registered what was happened.  Shiro easily relaxed when he realized he was being hugged.

Carefully, he brought his arms to wrap around Lance before the other could realize what he was doing and pull away.  Lance gripped him a little tighter at the feeling.

And then something in Lance broke.

Cause his shoulder started to shake as his breath hitches in silent sobs.  And he pressed himself more into Shiro, naturally seeking out some comfort he probably hasn’t gotten from anyone like he needs.  Shiro is just there to give it.

But Shiro held tighter too.

Then Lance started babbling.  

Most of it incoherent because of his sobbing and the fact that his mouth is against Shiro’s shoulder.  And some words sentences are a jumbled mess of what sounds like Spanish and English.  But Shiro could make out some things that matter.

Like that Lance is the only one close to the kids.  He has a sister across the country, but everyone else back in Cuba.  Shiro heard ‘Uba’, but he wasn’t a hard leap to figure out what was said.  And that Lance has a hard-ass, no-help professor, that took pride in students failing, because.. _.life lessons_.   So he failing the class that he has to pass, because otherwise he’ll lose the scholarship he as.  Not to mention his student visa and immigration crap.

Then on top of all of it, he can’t afford a place like his brother’s, even with his family trying to help.  Maybe for a year…or a year and half if his roommate moves in and they budget the crap out of everything.  But he doesn’t want to give the place up, because of the kids, they’re still  _adjusting._   And his friend said moving them wouldn’t be great a thing in that time.  

Social services is breathing down his neck for the smallest thing to rip his niece and nephew away from him.  Which  _can’t_ happened, because his brother’s wife was a foster kid, and she didn’t want her kids going in the system.  And Lance’s mother will  _kill_  him if he loses them.  Nor does he want to, because like he’s all they have at the moment.

And he was trying his best.

Doesn’t everyone get that.  He’s got the kids seeing someone.  Sure it’s a friend from school, and they are part of her thesis, but she’s actually  _helping._   The kids actually like her and listen to her suggestions to handle grief.

It’s a lot.  

Some kind of sob filled word vomit into Shiro shoulder.  Most of it stuff Shiro, as some random person on the rooftop of an apartment building, had no business  _knowing_  half of.  But he’s there and it’s happening.

He does his best to calm and soothe Lance.

Soft hush and muttered phrases of soft assured and encouragement.  Because, yeah, Lance was doing everything  _right_  for his brother’s kids.  Just not himself.

Eventually Lance calms down enough to come to his senses, and pulled away from Shiro with a soft apology.  Muttering to himself sharply in Spanish as he wiped at Shiro’s shoulder and effort to clean or dry it.  Apologizing again as he does so.

Shiro waved him off breezily.  

Claiming it to be nothing, he was happy to be there to help.  Clearly it sounded like something Lance needed to get off his chest.  Even if all he did there was stand there.

“Shit, I should go,” Lance said as he pulled away from Shiro more as he looked down at his watch in the dim light.  He opened his mouth to say something, then closed it again, before “Yeah, I should just go.  Um…thanks again man.  Sorry for just dump that all on you…I really didn’t mean to…It’s just…ugh…a lot.”  He stumbled verbally as he moved away from Shiro.  “Go back to looking at nothing, and have a nice night.”  He added as he turned and hurried off to the door on the roof like he could not run away fast enough.

Shiro sighed to himself, turning back to the night sky above him.  Hoping to the powers that be that Lance gets some help beside Shiro randomly on a rooftop.  Then he moved to pack of his telescope and go back to grading papers for an hour.

* * *

“Hurry up, we’re gonna be late!” A familiar childish voice of one of his neighbor’s kids declared as Shiro existed his apartment.

He turns to see his neighbor’s son, Sylvio, bouncing hurriedly outside the door.  All with the impatience of a six year old eager to go somewhere.  Urgent steps and all, as he reached to tug at his sister’s, Nadia, backpack to get her out the door.  She doesn’t move, just loudly whine to get him to stop.

Sylvio doesn’t.

But he turned to look at Shiro at the sound of the man locking his door.

“ _El Capitán Blanco!”_  Sylvio beams bright with a warm smile at the sight of him. Mocking a salute as he declared his family’s nickname for Shiro.  Something his father coined years back when Shiro first moved in.  “Good morning!”

“Morning, Sylvio.” Shiro greeted warmly as Nadia turned around to wave hello at him with a smile.  “Morning Nadia.  Where are you two off too in such a hurry.”

“School!” Sylvio declared. “There’s a field trip to the science museum.  And we’re going to be late, if you don’t hurry up,  _Tío!”_

“ _Calma, calma_.”  A voice snapped from inside the apartment. “I’m coming.”  

A jacket is pressed into Nadia’s wavy hair, causing her to giggle slightly as she reached up to grab it from the hand holding it out.  She let her brother eagerly pull her out of the doorway as another body bushes through, and pulls the door closed.  Another jacket is tossed at Sylvio, landing squarely on his head, causing him to laugh as he pulled it off.

Shiro watched the little boy proceed to put the jacket on backwards as the door is locked.  Earning a giggle but a small hit from his sister as he pulled the hood over his face. Then he instantly takes Nadia’s hand in his own.  

Whoever was locking the door suddenly sighed as they turned around.  And Shiro turns at the sound to see a young man he’s maybe seen a handful of times.  He was a young relative of one of his neighbor’s.

“Oh,  _Tío_  Lance, this is our neighbor, Shiro.” Sylvio suddenly declared.

Shiro’s stomach dropped at the sound of the name.  

No, it can’t be.  

It had to be just a coincidence.  It  _had_  to be.  Lance is a common enough name for it to be so.  Shiro won’t accept anything else.  

Because otherwise that meant…

_Oh god!_

Yet as he looked at the other adult’s face, Lance’s face, there is no mistaking it.  Not only from the few features Shiro had noticed the night before.  But from the guys body language.  It’s tight and coiled in shock at horror.  As he realized the same thing Shiro was at the same time.  

A weird grin splits across the other’s face. An attempt to appear friendly and nice, instead of panicked and horrified in front of his niece and nephew.  But it’s a terrible attempt on Lance’s part.

“Nice to meet you, Shiro.” Lance uttered out, before sharply redirecting his attention to the two kids in front of him.  “Alright, let’s go.  We’re going to miss the subway, if we don’t hurry, and you’ll be late.   _Vamonos!”_  Lance stated hurriedly, before he quick grabbed Nadia’s hand and hurriedly pulled the two away.

Both the twins look back to wave at Shiro.

“Why is your face weird, Lance?” Sylvio asked gently as he turned back to his uncle. Who half hushed him, half shrieks his face is not weird.

Shiro is left just standing there.

Dread heavy in his stomach as he watched the three hurry along to the elevator and disappeared.

_Oh Lord._

**Author's Note:**

> Anyway, this was just some random AU idea where Lance is like a grad student/college senior, who after a terrible accident, as he two care for his niece and nephew. While Shiro is a teacher/professor who likes the stars, and his Lance’s new neighbor. And this is how they meet. Basically it’s kind of a fluffier idea (despite the angst opening, and feels), cause Shiro helps Lance out, with the kids and life in general, and they fall in love. And at some point Lance’s niece and nephew play match maker…with Hunk of course. And it’s just sweet.
> 
> Hope you liked it.


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